The Public Works Authority 'Ashghal' announced Sunday the completion of the development of the Lusail International Circuit's (LIC) racetrack and the construction and development of the main buildings, grandstands and infrastructure to host the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix competitions to be held from Oct. 6-8, 2023.
In a statement, Ashghal said the LIC racetrack extends for 5.38 kilometres and includes 16 turns. Its development work is an important milestone for the LIC, which is distinguished currently by being the only circuit in the region that hosts both Formula 1 and MotoGP races.
Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal, Eng. Youssef Al Emadi said: "We are proud that Ashghal has contributed once again in paving the way for hosting one of the most prominent sporting events in the world this year, which is a new achievement added to Qatar's track record of hosting the biggest international sporting events." Eng. Al Emadi added that the development work of LIC racetrack and the main buildings was completed within just seven months, in accordance with the highest international specifications and the precise requirements of Formula 1. Modern infrastructure, new service facilities and roads linked to the circuit were implemented to provide an exceptional experience for local fans and those coming to Qatar from all over the world.
President of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation and President of LIC, Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, said: "The comprehensive renovation that the LIC has undergone qualifies it to host the most important local and international competitions, and it is currently the only circuit in the region that hosts both Formula 1 and MotoGP races." He added: "The development work preserved the original design of the track due to its great popularity around the world. The circuit's facilities were rebuilt, and its infrastructure was developed to ensure the organisation of sporting events with a high level of efficiency and the provision of the best levels of service to improve the experience of speed racing fans." Manager of the Roads Projects Department at Ashghal, Eng. Saoud Al Tamimi explained that the project includes works to develop intersections and surrounding roads with a total length of 21 kilometres, to facilitate public's access to the circuit and link it to the main roads in the area. The roads adjacent to the circuit from the North, East and West have already been completed, in addition to the roads leading to the Umm Ebairiya/Al Sakhama intersection. The main roads linked to Al Majd Road are currently being developed and are planned to be completed by the end of the month.
In turn, Manager of the Buildings Projects Department at Ashghal, Eng. Jarallah Al Marri stated that new buildings were constructed and facilities accompanying LIC were developed over a total area estimated at 100,000 sqaure metres. A larger fan zone was provided, and 5-star VIP areas were added, and the capacity of the grandstands and parking lots was increased. He explained that the new buildings adopted distinctive modern designs while adopting the latest international technologies.
Acting Assistant Manager of the Buildings Projects Department, and the Project Manager, Eng. Hamad Al Bader, said that the project aimed to develop the racetrack and upgrade the circuit's facilities and infrastructure while adhering to all technical standards of both the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM).
Al Badr added that the works on the new main buildings have been completed, including the racing cars preparation building (PIT), the hospitality and VVIP buildings, and Al-Majlis building. Notably, 50 racing car preparation garages were established, which is the largest number of racing car preparation garages at the international circuits participating in Formula 1.
Project Manager Eng. Ahmed Abu Nahia, along with the work team expressed their happiness with the completion of this important project through great cooperation and coordination among government entities to make the project a success and to complete it in record time while maintaining the highest levels of quality, to make LIC a globally acclaimed venue capable of hosting the most important sporting events. He explained that implementing works of this huge scale while complying with the standards and requirements of Formula 1 constituted a major challenge, but it was overcome thanks to the efforts of the work team and the use of innovative solutions and precise specialised equipment.
Project Engineer in the Buildings Projects Department at Ashghal, Eng. Fatma Al Abdulmalek mentioned that about 15,000 indoor and outdoor parking spaces were provided, including VIP parking, in addition to increasing the circuit's capacity to 40,000 spectators including the main and temporary grandstands, the guest grandstand, the preparation building grandstand, and the natural grandstand (Lusail Hill) which is a high hill from which spectators can watch the race, along with a group of viewing stands around the circuit. 180,000 sqm of green spaces were also implemented.
It is noteworthy that the works of the LIC's Academy (Qatar Motor Sports Academy) are currently being implemented and are scheduled to be completed in November 2023. Service road works are also being constructed to serve urban growth in the area, and they are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.
It is worth mentioning that the first phase of the LIC Upgrade Project had contributed to the success of the Qatar Grand Prix held in March 2021, and the MotoGP World Championship hosted by Qatar in April of the same year.
Source: Qatar News Agency